Wednesday, October 03, 2007

A couple years ago Andrew bought me something that truly proved his love for me: a mushroom growing kit. How romantic is that? Well, if you knew the way he feels about mushrooms you'd understand the sacrifice a gift like that entails.

Well I followed directions exactly but wouldn't you know it those darn fungi wouldn't grow! I never ruled out the theory of sabotage--maybe someone soaked it in bleach or something--but finally gave up on the stupid thing and tossed it out back behind the playhouse in my little garden figuring the sawdust would break down and be good for the soil.

A couple weeks later Grace reported that I had something strange going on behind the shed. I looked back and found a GIGANTOR SHITAKE MUSHROOM. The Godzilla of Mushrooms, the Schwarzenegger of Mushrooms, the mushroom that made Andrew want to curl up in the corner and cry himself to sleep.

It's been non-stop mushrooms ever since. Who knew all the kit needed was a little abuse and they'd be popping up like . . . well like mushrooms.

I am SOOO jealous! Where do you get one of those? I have all the horse crap you can find! We didn't get any wild mushrooms this summer. and I have been known to come across a puffball here and there....

That is so fun! I once has a little aloe plant that wouldn't grow inside. I thought it was dead and threw it into the compost pile. A month later, there was a great aloe plant rising out of the grass clippings. A pretty strange sight for Michigan. I plucked it out of there and still have it. Sometimes tough love works!

I love mushrooms -- we head to the woods every spring to find morrels. I was hoping to try the kits -- so, I may e-mail you after it arrives for tips. Wow. Hopefully next year, you'll have a bumper crop. That is awesome.